Frosty Feet
by Woffreen
Summary: How could he tell her? He wasn't necessarily worried about offending her, but of being embarrassed over all. See, our Jack Frost here has never danced before. He didn't even know how. / Rise of the Guardians three-shot. Jack x Tooth. / T for my bad ways of describing things / CH2 UP IM SORRY
1. A Unexpected Visit

_**A.N.::**__ Oh look another Rise of the Guardians fic wow Woff you're on a roll_

_So if it isn't obvious then lemme tell you right now, I ship FrostBite and I'm__ proud__._

_Uhm yeah so I thought to myself, what would it be like for Jack and Tooth to dance or something? Of course the result in my mind just had to be written out._

_Honestly I kind of like how this turned out, even if it gets a bit… derpy in some parts. I tried to stay in character as much as I could, but I threw in my headcanon that, while Jack is all outgoing and hot and stuff, he'd still be a bit awkward around a) other people since, hey, he's been virtually alone for 300 years and b) he has no memory of a girlfriend or anything so he'd act exceptionally awkward around someone he liked._

_By the way, this was going to be a one-shot, but I got the inspiration to write more dance-related fics for these two, and well, I plan to turn this into a three-shot. If this gets Reviews and some love then I might just do that._

_I hope you have as much fun reading this as I did writing it. I think I started this Monday? Wrote it all on my phone, then just transferred to my computer to make some finishing touches. ENJOY._

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**Frosty Feet**

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It was a few weeks after the defeat of Pitch Black and still the Guardians had found themselves celebrating. They had gotten together on multiple occasions, even moreso than they had before the ordeal with the boogie man. Maybe it was because of their newest Guardian, the Guardian of Fun, Jack Frost himself. Or perhaps this win had been bigger than ones before, and seemed to demand such a celebration. In any case, none of them seemed to mind much. In fact, each of them - yes, even Bunnymund - apparently found these gatherings enjoyable, relieving. Be it a feast, or a gathering to share tales and reminisce on different perspectives of their deeds, or even "game night" where they would challenge one another to do each other's jobs, what have you, it was nice to just relax and have fun for once.

The first few times, Jack felt pretty eager to spend time with his new found family, especially since the weather found itself dipping into Summer, leaving the Winter fable with nothing to do. Besides, he had been alone for three hundred years. A little social interaction would do him well.

...Well, _a little._

But after being alone for so long, while Jack was always willing to talk to someone, he eventually began to find himself a little uncomfortable around his friends. A bit awkward, if you will. He just wasn't too used to so much interaction at one time. No, it's not like he regretted it or anything, or was upset, he just needed a bit of time away from everyone for the moment.

He would find himself occasionally visiting the South Pole, as he had done many times before whenever he wanted to be alone. As of late, he had been there a lot, even for days at a time (which, honestly, was unusual for the free-willed Guardian). He even took to building himself a loft out of ice, so he could make himself comfortable whenever he required rest. No one ever went down there; it was almost like an unspoken understanding between even the Guardians to not pester Jack whenever he was there.

At the very moment, everyone's favorite snow spirit was inside this aforementioned loft. It wasn't too big; while he had considered making it such, even he knew that he pretty much only needed the clothes on his back and his trusty staff to keep him company. So all he really required was a bed, maybe a few lounge spots, and a couple of places to store stuff in case he, well, _found stuff to store_, which at the moment really only consisted of a couple extra hoodie jackets and some blankets, just in case.

The main room was large and open, shaped circular. The left side from the door had a few shelves and a couple of what looked to be closets against the wall. To the right, a sitting area, complete with one love seat and a chair. And across from the entrance was a rather large bed. Everything in sight was sculpted from shining, light blue ice, save for the few quilts and pillows on the bed - there to provide comfort rather than warmth, of course. The floor was covered with a carpet of snow, so-to-speak. The walls had a few holes covered with transparent ice, a substitute for windows, no doubt. The door itself was sealed and basically morphed into the wall, requiring Jack's aid in opening it.

Jack Frost himself sat cross legged on the bed, facing the wall against the headboard and staring through a window there. His arms were propped on the sill as he calmly studied the snowflakes naturally fall outside. He had awoken just a few minutes before - this was pretty obvious due to his lack of a hoodie and more-ruffled-than-usual hair - and found himself a little too tired still to get out and about.

Well_, a little_ was a bit of an understatement. He drew his gaze away from the window, before he rolled over to plop back down on his stomach lazily with a huff of exhaustion. He closed his eyes. He didn't really have anything to do right away, anyway. Just a few more minutes...

...Before the sound of a delicate hand banging on the door snapped him back to attention.

Groaning in protest, he forced himself to roll onto his back before sitting up, throwing his legs over the side. He had to emit a large yawn and blink away sleep. The knocking had not ceased yet, which he acknowledged with annoyance.

"Just a second," he mumbled almost incoherently, before he stood slowly, grabbing his staff from its place at the side of the bed.

With a small swipe of his staff, the sealed ice door slid open, and he was greeted with a chilling wind - one that felt rather refreshing against his bare skin - along with the sight of the last person he would have thought to come here.

"_Tooth?_" Jack said in surprise, blinking a few times to ensure his exhaustion wasn't tricking him.

"Jack!" his fellow Guardian exclaimed, her shaky voice lit up and laced with relief, yet bubbly as ever, if not moreso. The bird-like fairy was hugging herself tightly in the cold, her wings beating as fast as possible to prevent the delicate membrane from freezing in place, while her feathers were ruffled and twitching. Before Jack could say much more she began to blabber, words pouring out one after the other so quickly it was almost hard to keep track of what she was saying."I knew this was your house! I mean besides the fact it's the only house within, like, miles out here. And its made of snow and stuff. My fairies told me where you lived down here so I knew just where to look. Luckily I managed to find you easily, because it's kinda hard to get around out here, you know, with the fog and snow and ice and snow and Jack can I please come inside its really really really cold out here."

"Yeah," he said quickly, still a little dumbfounded but able to see her uncomfortable position with ease. He stepped out of the way, and without hesitation the Guardian of Memories zipped past him and into the still-cold-but-not-as-bad-as-outside loft. She landed on her feet, beating her wings and shaking her feathers in attempt to warm herself up. She rubbed her hands together and blew her warm breath into them. "Thanks," she said shakily with relief.

"Uh, yeah, no problem. Tooth," he began, closing the door once more to keep the freezing breeze out."What are you doing here? It's way too cold for you." He walked across the open room to one of his closet-like storage areas, searching the shelf for something to give his friend to keep her warm.

"Oh," she began modestly with a shrug of her feathered shoulders. "Well, we kinda noticed you being away and everything. And North was worried and wanted to find you but was all busy. So is Sandy, you know, doing what he does and all. And Bunny- well, he didn't care actually. But I had some free time. Sooo I decided to pay you a visit!"

He grabbed a quilt that he had collected on one of his runs. It was made of a soft blue material, with snow flake designs on it - obviously the reason it caught his eye. The fabric was covered in a layer of snow, so with a touch of his hand, it all fell away and onto the ground. Satisfied, he turned and, spreading it, rested it around her shoulders, to which she grabbed onto it thankfully.

"Why are you guys worried about me?" he continued the conversation, turning about to settle on the edge of his bed before setting his staff down in its place against the bed. "What's so weird about me... Well, being alone?"

"Oh! Uhm..." she trailed off, glancing away awkwardly as if she realized what she was saying was stupid. "Well, I don't know. Maybe because we've all been hanging out and you fit in well with us and, uhm, you kinda, like, vanished. North figured you were always one for parties and stuff, and well, you know him, he'd throw as many parties he wanted for any of us. We all figured it wasn't like you to, y'know. Miss one." She offered an apologetic smile, deciding that her reason for visiting was sort of lame, but it was a bit late to fix that now.

Jack had long since broken into an amused grin, and when she was done, he huffed a snicker. "Tooth, I'm fine. And it isn't you guys. I just, wanted to be alone a bit." He shrugged. "Too many parties and crowds and fruit cakes. I needed a break."

Tooth twitched her feathers in understanding before they flattened a bit. "Oh," she said slowly.

"Hey," Jack added hastily as he took her tone as crestfallen. "I'm not annoyed or anything. I'll be back at those parties before you know it."

She nodded, smiling again as her feathers fluttered in content. "Okay!" Her tone was cheery again, yet awkward. "Well, uhmm... I'll leave you alone then. Uh, see you around Jack!"

She swiftly slid the blanket off of her shoulders and moved to set it back down on the shelf in the closet. Jack tensed suddenly as he blurted, "So soon?" Tooth looked to him in confusion, and he cleared his throat to elaborate more. "I mean, you just got here. You can stay, if you want. For a bit." He forced himself to shrug cooly and went on in a nonchalant voice. "I don't care."

Her fuchsia eyes lit up notably, and the feathers gracing her face perked giddily. But, catching her own swift happiness, she forced herself to calm a bit, and her feathers once again lay flat. "Well, I am kinda tired from the flight here," she said casually, hugging the blanket to her chest. Hesitantly, she added, "You sure, though? You look kinda sleepy, Jack."

"Well, I _was_," he admit, running a hand through his silver hair, partially in attempt to make it a bit neater.

"Mhmm." Tooth was eyeing the boy with an amused glint in her eyes. He returned the stare obliviously, smiling lightly.

Then he realized he was still shirtless. Cursing in his mind at how inappropriate this was around a _lady_, he stood quickly, grabbing the hoodie that he had lazily thrown on the floor the night before, and pulled it over his head.

His frantic, obviously embarrassed movements made Tooth giggle. Sure, she noticed how _casually _dressed he was once he answered the door, but at the time she was too cold to really care. And clearly he had been too _tired_ to really care, until now.

He smoothed the hoodie a bit once he had it on and brushed off excess snow, looking up at the fairy to offer an embarrassed smile. "Well, uhm." He glanced about, before throwing his arms up in a presenting gesture. "Welcome to my home. Not much, but enough for me I guess."

She looked around the small room. "Lovely," she offered politely, with a bit of a giggle.

"Yep. Oh, you could have a seat, if you want," he offered, gesturing to the sitting area.

"Oh, okay!" She thanked him and fluttered over, settling on the love seat before wrapping herself in the quilt again. Jack leaned against the chair across from her, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. "I'd offer you something, but, I don't really keep any real food here. So um... snow cone?"

She shook her head, smiling cutely. "That's sweet. No thanks, Jack."

He nodded to her, before the room grew silent. She had glanced downward awkwardly, her feet suddenly very interesting to her. Jack stared at her, feeling a soft smile stain his face. She looked kinda adorable sitting like that, wrapped up in a blanket and awkwardly shuffling her feet against the snowy floor. He admired how her colorful plume contrasted the monochromic blue of his home. And her extravagant appearance just complimented her beautiful personality so well. She was really a wonder.

He had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't necessarily noticed that she had been returning his stare until she broke the silence, her tone a bit hasty. "So! Uhm, what do you do for fun around here, Jack?"

He immediately looked away, suppressing the icy blush that began to grace his pale cheeks. "Oh, well, I usually like to hang around outside," the winter spirit covered quickly, instantly returning to his characteristic playful nature as he stood up straight, pacing around and using exaggerated hand gestures to emphasize as he spoke. "Down here, I can do pretty much anything, really. Make the most hardcore blizzards. Or the coolest ice sculptures. It's pretty awesome."

"Wow!" Tooth squeaked excitedly. "Beats what I do at the palace whenever I'm bored!"

Jack became interested almost immediately, looking back to the feathered woman with his eyes bright and curious. "What would that be?"

"Oh!" Tooth giggled. "Well, it's silly, but... I tend to just... dance around."

"Dance around?" the winter spirit echoed, eye brows raised.

"Like an idiot!" she confirmed with a laugh. "I used to do it all the time as a kid, and I still love it!" She pulled her knees to her chest, her lips pulled back in a wide grin. "Its fun, too. Haven't you ever just broken out dancing before?"

When Jack said nothing and continued to stare, Tooth gasped dramatically. "Oh, Jack! Do you not know what dancing is?"

"Oh, no, I do!" Jack ensured swiftly. "I just, uh..."

"What?" she prompted.

Jack knit his brows together, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. How could he tell her? He wasn't necessarily worried about offending her, but of being embarrassed over all. See, our Jack Frost here has never danced before. He didn't even know how. He always watched people dance with partners at parties or something, and sure, he tried it, but he always ended up stumbling or distracting himself by causing winter winds to spiral around. It had left his mind for quite a while, until now of course.

He reluctantly said, "No, I've never done that. In fact, I, uhm. I've never danced, _period_."

"Never danced!" Tooth exclaimed in shock. "But dancing is so magical, and fun!" She hopped to her feet, abandoning the blue blanket as she fluttered over to him, grabbing his hands before he could protest and started tugging him to the more open area of the loft.

"H-hey!" Jack stammered in surprise as she tugged him, nearly losing his footing.

"Let's dance!" she decided with a delighted giggle.

Jack tried to pull away, feeling his face flush a soft purple in embarrassment at the situation. "But I don't know how, Tooth!"

"I'll teach you!" the colorful Guardian insisted.

"I don't know..."

"Come on, Jack! It'll be _fun_..." Tooth gave him her biggest, prettiest pleading eyes she could manage as she stressed the word 'fun' just for him. He stared back, then sighed in defeat. How could he say no to that? "Fine," he murmured with mock annoyance, smiling softly. "What do I do?"

She emit a small yip of triumph before releasing his hands. "Well, you just kinda... Well, dance!" Giggling, she twirled around giddily, circling the white haired boy as she did so. He turned about to keep an eye on his playful friend, an amused smirk on his face.

But after she revolved around him a few times, she stopped. "Well, try it!" she pestered, gesturing with her hands.

His eyes widened, feeling that trace of awkwardness return. He wasn't sure how to proceed, and he definitely didn't want to try and make a fool of himself in front of Tooth. His icy gaze shifted to the ground. "Well, I, uh..."

Tooth shook her head with a smile. This uncertainty was very unlike Jack, and seeing him acting all flustered was extremely cute. She grabbed for his hands again, landing on the ground as she did so. He looked back up to her.

"Uhm... You just, kinda..." Her brow furrowed as she stared at their entwined hands, trying to think about how to proceed more slowly. She never taught anyone something like this before. She glanced back up to him as an idea entered her mind. Grinning mischievously, the Tooth Fairy, holding on tight to the Guardian's hands, began to spin around as she had formerly been doing, taking him with her. Jack gasped and stumbled a bit at first, but quickly caught his steps as the fairy twirled the two of them around. Meanwhile, the Guardian of Memories had long since broken into an endless fit of laughter, one that, after he had gotten the hang of his footing, Jack eventually joined.

The two of them spun around mindlessly for a few moments, before they released each other, both spinning individually due to the force they had caused. Jack, feeling dizzy, forced himself to a halt a little early, but his laughter had never ceased. He looked to Tooth as his vision leveled out; she was twirling on her own before she, too, stopped, swiftly turning about to flash a wide grin at Jack. She fluttered over to hover just infront of him, her hands and knees pulled to her chest midair.

"You did it!" she encouraged happily and offered a small applause.

"I guess so," the winter spirit huffed, feeling a spark of pride, despite the fact he had direct help.

Tooth giggled as she landed back on her feet, beaming up at him still. Her multicolored feathers twitched in pleasure, and her unique eyes glittered even in the dim light. Again, she looked extremely cute to Jack, and he couldn't stop his eyes from remaining glued to her face, which was flushed slightly after their little scene.

It took only moment for his staring to register in Tooth's mind, but this time she did not feel the haste urge to draw his attention elsewhere. Rather, she found herself drowning into that icy gaze of his, her giddy smile slowly fading to a more seriously affectionate expression. She found herself unable to look away. Not that she wanted to, anyway. I mean, what would you do if your extremely handsome crush was just inches from your face and staring deep into your soul?

Instinctively, Tooth felt her face ease nearer, closing the distance between them ever slowly. Was he doing the same? It was hard to tell, but she didn't really care.

Suddenly, to her disappointment - and unbeknownstly to his own, as well - Jack jerked away hastily, forcing himself to look elsewhere. "Uhm! Well, that really was fun, but I, gotta, uh... I gotta go, cause snow and, stuff."

"Oh!" She acted quickly, attempting to cover her own equal awkwardness as well. "Yeah, and, I got, you know, teeth to collect!"

"Yeah," Jack agreed. He drew his eyes back at her, attempting a genuine, but clearly embarrassed and apologetic smile with those pearly white teeth. "This was fun, Tooth!"

She smiled back. "Mhm!" She glanced behind her to the door. The winter spirit walked her over to it, before, pressing his hand to the wall, he commanded it to slide open for her. She zipped past him, immediately regretting leaving the warmer state of the loft and eager to get out of the frozen wasteland, but silently upset that their little fun was over.

"I'll let the others know why you've been gone," she informed him, zipping around to face him.

"Thanks," he said. "And don't worry, I'll be back and annoying Bunny just as always," he added with a reassuring grin.

She giggled, then waved to him. "Bye, Jack!" And with that, Tooth was flying off and away, leaving the white haired Guardian behind to wave back until she was out of his sight, her green silhouette vanishing into the grey snow-clad skies. Even after she was far from view, Jack found himself smiling contentedly to himself, feeling an almost alien affection swirl in his stomach. He wasn't necessarily sure what it was or what it meant... Sure, he cared for Tooth, very much so. And it was no secret that she reflected these feelings gladly.

But was there more to it than these little moments they had together, every now and then? Did... Did he want something more? Did she?

His brow furrowed in irritation at this new found conflict. He never really gave their relationship much thought before, and now that he did, it sort of hurt his head to think about. The boy had never really come across feelings like this before - as far as he could remember, of course. And now, this affection he felt toward his fellow Guardian both thrilled him and confused him at once. He wasn't sure what to think or do about it...

Shaking his head, he forced it to the back of his mind. Now isn't the time for upsetting himself over dumb thoughts, he concluded. Rather, he can go about his day, reminiscing on the fun he had just had with Tooth and looking forward to the time when they can dance together again.

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_**A.N.::**__ That's it. Thanks for reading bros. Feel free to send a Review my way, tell me what you think. Faves and follows are nice and all, but it's the Reviews that really keep me going._

_**-Woffreen**_


	2. Cheer Up

_**A.N.::** HEYYYYYY... GUYYYSSSS..._

_i know i know i'm sorry i've been gone i'm such a terrible person kill me now OTL_

_look, i've had school and senior project and jesus i havent updated this since December_

_to be fair, i wrote most of it down and everything (on my phone again btw) but when i reached the end parts i just couldn't figure out how to write the rest. i'm not a writer guys. i just spit stuff on paper and make it look pretty._

_to be honest, i come up with 21398138921 stories at a time in my head but due to the issue stated above they never get written crycrycry_

_anyway all i can say is sorry for the wait. but i haven't abandoned this!_

_here's your next chapter already you hungry hooligans_

_this one is a bit more... not as cute i guess, kind of serious and would be classified as hurt/comfort maybe? but it has a cute ending so n_n_

_um please excuse typing issues. i only read over the completed thing twice, once like when i finished it and once just now. remember, i wrote this whole thing on my phone._

_anyway, i'll ramble more at the end of this. for now, onto the story._

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**Frosty Feet. ch2: Cheer Up**

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Summer was drawing to a close at last as the days dipped into those of September, and as the colder weather began to peek out of its slumber, the spirit of Winter began to grow restless.

This was Jacks first real winter as a Guardian. Not much of a change in reality, but it seemed to have made him much more spirited when he summoned the autumn breezes and morning frosts. He tried to make every cold morning both a relief from the formerly blazing days of Summer, as well as a view pleasing to the eye.

After he had finished his run for the moment, his eager attitude returned. He wanted something to do, something to help with. Anything! Whenever he got bored these days, he had taken to checking up on his fellow Guardians to see if they required assistance in any way, quite the contrary to his somewhat socially-awkward position he was stuck in just a while ago. It wasn't too odd to do so, either; ever since the five worked together to collect teeth and restore the children's belief in Tooth, they had taken quite a liking to trying out other stuff every now and then. Usually it was Jack who did this, due to how serious the others took their jobs because, while they enjoyed it as much as he, they either hadn't the time to spare or the determination and trust that the job wouldn't be messed up, at least a little.

Jack was gliding along with the aid of the breeze as he contemplated where he would go today. He considered North's place first; he wasn't necessarily the most... Constructive when it came to building things like toys and machines for the kids, but North always found him something to do, like help restock their supplies or provide him with the ice for his sculpting hobby. But the Guardian of Wonder was immediately disqualified from Jack's thoughts as he recalled what happened the _last_ time he tried to help out. It was about two weeks ago, and the poor boy had '_accidentally_' frozen half the yetis and their projects in progress. Meant as a small innocent prank, of course, but with '_the big day_' approaching, North was a little more on edge and his temper was significantly less tolerable than when the winter spirit had first met him. Let's just say Jack wasn't allowed back in for a while.

There was the Sandman, but that was virtually unnecessary. Sandy had all of the potential himself to take complete care of all the dreams he granted to the children of the world. What could Jack really contribute anyway? The power of controlling dreams would be required of the boy, which was pretty impossible unless Sandy gave him a jar of Dream Sand to sprinkle on kids faces or something. It was the same reason no one could help Jack with his own duty; the power was needed, and it couldn't really be shared.

There was Bunnymund next. Jack pondered this for quite a while, but every time he had asked to help out, the bunny would get noticeably defensive, despite his polite refusal. Jack partially wondered if it was due to what happened last Easter, with Pitch. Sure, the danger was gone and they were safe, but it's possible the Guardian of Hope just needed time to rebuild his confidence on his own. After all, it had taken the biggest toll on Bunnymund, more than the rest of them. Jack wasn't about to interfere with his friend, not until he was ready.

That left Tooth.

Jack's heart immediately increased its pace as it jumped a bit in happiness. It was always a pleasure to see the multicolored fairy. To see the way her eyes lit up when she found she had a visitor, or the way her pink lips graced her beautiful face with a giggling smile whenever he would tell her a joke. Whenever she would hug him lightly in greeting, ask him how he was doing and find interest in every single detail when he told her how his day was. How she beamed at him eagerly whenever he offered to help her for the day. She was so nice and kind-hearted, playful and beautiful.

She was so... _Tooth._

Without another thought the winter spirit set the wind's course for the Tooth Palace, a bit of a spark in his gliding as he looked forward to spending time with the Guardian of Memories.

It's pretty clear that his affection for the Tooth Fairy was no longer a secret. To his own mind, of course - no _way_ he would tell anyone else, not yet. But ever since the moment in his home several weeks ago, he had discovered that maybe, just maybe, he felt something toward her, something more than friendship. He wasn't really sure, not completely. He had no memory of feeling this way toward anyone else, so he wasn't necessarily sure if he had assumed that this was some sort of romantic feeling or not. Not that he had a problem with it if it was, of course.

But he was about to kiss her. So, that must have meant _something_.

He didn't really find the urge to pursue his feelings, to be honest. This was nice, right here. Being friends, spending as much time together as possible, laughing together, playing around together. It was right where he wanted to be right now.

Within a little while, he reached the marvelous palace hidden high upon the mountain, overlooking the beautiful lands just below. Jack flew up there, landing nimbly on the marble flooring of the nearest tower. Thousands of miniature tooth fairies were buzzing about, the sounds of their shuffling wings and speedy chirps echoing all around. They hadn't taken immediate notice to Jack, which he had silently been thankful for. They always caused a huge scene, throwing their duties off track as they would pay immediate attention to him, swooning and 'fan-girling' over him. It was cute, really, but it would tend to annoy poor Tooth, who would start scolding them to get back on schedule before they waste too much time.

At the moment, there was no sight of Tooth, and Jack raised a brow in confusion. She was always here whenever he would visit, always working and working, giving commands to the smaller fairies as they flew in and out bearing teeth and gifts. But she wasn't here at the moment, it seemed.

Confused and somewhat concerned, Jack glanced around to make sure he didn't simply pass her. As he did, he caught sight of the ravine that lead down to the small grove with the pond and the mural. Deciding to check there he jumped down, silently breathing a sigh of relief that none of the busy fairies had seen him.

He landed on a slope closely surrounded by earthy walls, and he calmly walked along the path, knowing full well that it would lead him to the clearing. He had considered calling out to her, but moments later, he didn't need to.

At the end of his path was a drop that overlooked the grove below. Despite the high elevation with which this palace resided, plants and flowers and trees all seemed to grow with ease. The grove was surrounded by lightly colored rocky walls clad with overgrown roots and vines. On the far end from where he stood was the aforementioned mural, representing Tooth and several children offering their teeth to her. Most of the grove was taken up by a pond whose silvery surface reflected it's surroundings nicely. Nearest to where Jack stood and along the right wall was where there was ground. He recalled his area clearly; he hadn't been here that much after the confrontation with Pitch in this very Palace, but he admired it so much that he memorized the area easily.

The bird-like woman whom he had been searching for was, as he guessed, here in the grove. She was fluttering around in circles over the pond, as if she were dancing. The movements were familiar to Jack, yet this time the movements were significantly slower than he had once seen, and a lot more graceful. The light above shone on her translucent feathers just right, their multiple colors creating a prism-stained sheen that seemed to change color with every movement she made. Her reflection in the water just below sent off even more glittering, some of which occasionally bounced of the walls in a similar effect that would come from sequins reflecting light. She seemed to light the entire grove up.

_Heh,_ Jack thought lightly as he crouched down from where he stood, hugging his staff to him. _She really does dance when she's bored._

He smiled to himself as he watched her twirl around the clearing, hovering low enough for the plume gracing her waste to graze against the surface of the pond every so often, sending off ripples among the placid silver. He wondered how often she just took the time out of her day to go somewhere like this and just put on a magnificent performance like that, just for _fun_. It was amazing. He hadn't seen her dance ever since the day back at his loft, and honestly, Jack had missed the sight of it more than he thought.

His playful nature had begun to surface itself, and Jack considered revealing his presence and joining her with her dancing. Just as soon as the thought arrived, though, Tooth's movements slowed until they ceased and she came to a halt with her back facing where the Guardian of Fun had been watching. Hovering above the pond, she looked up at her mural before letting out an audible and clearly crestfallen sigh. The sorrowful sound of it threw Jack off a bit; he hadn't heard Tooth sound that upset ever since Pitch had captured all of her fairies on that fateful day. Again he felt the urge to make himself known, yet it was stronger now that he felt the need to comfort his friend. But before he could do anything, she did something else that made his heart skip a beat.

Tooth started to _sing_.

A foreign song - to him, at least. He couldn't understand the language. It sounded like a melancholy tune, as it was low and emotional, almost as if it were a requiem. But it was slow and calm, and Man in the _Moon_, was it _beautiful_. Her voice rung out softly, gently echoing among the close walls of the grove in the prettiest way possible. He had never heard anything like it before.

The breathtaking scene had rendered the Winter fable ultimately speechless - something that was pretty damn rare. He found himself, once again, staring at her, lost in the sheer magical beauty that she radiated flawlessly. That affection from before began to surge through him once more, and his heart beat increased notably. Her perfect personality, voice, smile. She would never cease to amaze him like this, to find new ways to make him love her.

..._Love?_

No, no, no. Slow down. That word was too strong. He couldn't love her, he had just met her months ago, right? He didn't even know what love was! There's no way he could be in love with her.

Right?

With an irritated shake of his head, Jack violently suppressed the thoughts straight from his mind, putting them off for contemplation at a /way/ later date. There was no way he was going to hurt his head with more frustratingly conflicting thoughts. Rather, he returned his attention to her as he listened to her singing, savoring every delicate note that emit from her lips.

Much too soon, the song ended and the grove grew silent once more. Even from where he was he could see the girl lower her head and look down, and her colorful feathers seemed to press flat somberly. Why was she so upset? The way she looked now seemed as if she was in mourning over something. The thought of her melody being that of a requiem returned to his contemplation. Did something happen?

At the thought, he stood quickly - but quietly - and, composing himself, he called out to her seemingly obliviously. "Tooth?"

He watched her reaction closely. She gasped in surprise, spinning about to face where her friends voice had come from. "Jack!" she returned, her voice immediately taking on a pseudo-happy tone as she caught sight of the white haired boy. Jack hopped down to the ground below the ledge, and Tooth fluttered over, hovering just in front of him. "It's so nice to see you!" she went on cheerfully, but Jack could see her sadness still glazed across her eyes. When he didn't immediately respond, her expression then took on more of an embarrassingly anxious one, glancing away and brushing her feathers around her ear nervously. "Uh, how long have you been here?" she asked with a small voice as she hesitated in meeting his gaze.

The Winter spirit took note of her clear concern over the thought of someone catching her like that. _Why would she worry? There's nothing to be embarrassed about. She's beautiful._ Besides, she danced in front of him before. He guessed the reason for her worry must be about her singing. She never did tell him that singing was another hobby of hers, after all. She must be cautious about her voice.

_Voice of an angel._

Or it could be about whatever was making her sad. He acted quickly, the thought of embarrassing Tooth being the last thing he wanted. He didn't necessarily intend to admit that he was /gawking/ over her, either, unless the situation called for him to do so. While he wasn't prepared to confess his currently unexplainable infatuation with her, he still wanted to help her feel better at any cost. "Just got here," he answered casually with a shrug, but he made a point to lace his voice with caring concern for his friend. "Tooth, are you all right? You look upset."

Her demeanor dropped notably and she glanced downward, brow furrowing. "I, uh..." her voice was so small and un-Tooth-like that it nearly sent Jack into a frenzy, the urge to fight off whatever had been torturing her emotions nearly taking over.

"I'm just..." she went on reluctantly as she continually kept her eyes away from his. "I'm just thinking about... stuff. It's not a big deal."

"_Hey_." Jack's persistent voice was soft and caring as he placed his free hand gently on her shoulder. This made Tooth look back up to him, and there was no hiding the tears that lined the bottom of her eyes. He felt his heart clench slightly; he hated seeing anyone this upset. _Especially_ Tooth.

Their gazes remained locked for a minute, before she finally let out a sigh of defeat and lowered her head. "I don't have a very good past," she answered at last, her voice nearly as soft as a whisper. "And today is an... anniversary, I guess. A day of remembrance for something that happened to me in my former life." She cleared her throat, then looked back up to him, a sad smile pulling at her lips. "Thanks, Jack. But I'm not... Ready. To talk about it, I mean."

Jack kept his icy eyes glued to her as she spoke, never taking them away. She looked so sad... He wished there was something he could do to take her pain away.

"Tooth," he said with a voice radiating with determination, something his face had reflected clearly: brows lowered, eyes sharp, lips traced in a firm line. "If... If there is _anything_ I can do..."

"I know, honey." She cut him off, her smile turning into a genuine, thankful grin, clearly not wanting him to go through any more pent up rage than he needed to for her sake. She reached up and rested her hand on his own that was still holding her shoulder. "I know."

His expression softened immediately at this. Tooth clearly seemed to trust him so much. He wasn't entirely sure, but now that he thought about it, something told him that even after all of the years she spent as an immortal, she had not confessed her past - or at least how negatively it affected her - to anyone. The way she spoke to him now, with reluctance, yes, but that hint of reliance all the same, and the clear relief that now seemed to beam from her very being almost physically, Jack could tell that she _trusted_ him. She hadn't told him yet, but she trusted him enough to do so, one day. And just the mere thought sent the most pleasant wave of warmth through his heart.

He gave her his signature smile that revealed his pure white teeth, something that always made her eyes light up on the spot. He pulled her into an affectionate embrace, one that she followed suit upon gladly, her own arms sliding up to rest around his shoulders. He could feel her relax in his grasp, her tense demeanor falling away immediately.

For several moments they remained there in each others arms. Part of Jack wanted to stay here forever. All of his uncomfortable feelings were demolished right then and there. This was past his own personal conflict concerning his feelings for Tooth. She needed him, here, now. She needed his comforting presence. To Hell with awkwardness, and his lack of experience when it came to this personal physical contact. If he embarrassed himself by becoming flustered in her presence, then who cares. So long as she knows he is there for her, no matter what.

After a while, a thought arrived in his mind, and with it a mischievous grin painted itself upon his face. What better way for the Guardian of Fun to cheer a dear friend of his up? "You know what'll make you feel better?" he asked, pulling his head back enough to look her in the eyes, which were now void of all tears by now.

"Hmm?" Tooth's brow raised in curiosity upon noticing his smirk for the first time.

His hands reached for her own and, still smiling, he rotated their position to where he walked backward and directly into the pond. Tooth noticed this and immediately tensed, expecting the boy in front of her to fall into the water, but she relaxed as she realized the surface froze upon contact with his bare feet, the ice spreading from his footfalls to each corner of the pond, twisting in their usual, beautiful feathery pattern.

Once in the middle of the pond, which was now successfully covered in a thick layer of solid ice, Jack pulled her closer. One hand kept hold on her own, while his other moved to her waist. The fairy tried in vain to suppress the blush that had invaded her cheeks at the sudden close proximity that she found herself in with the boy, but she did not protest against his action, especially since he had offered a wink and a grin, a way to show her to trust him. Then, by his lead, the two began to twirl gradually around the frozen lake. Tooth knew he was attempting a sort of 'ballroom dance', so she ignored his evident clumsiness with his feet. After all, he still knew next to nothing about dancing, let alone something as intricate and formal as this, but he was doing this for her. He was making a fool of himself, for her.

The ice Guardian had long since broken into a light fit of chuckles, however, knowing how silly the two of them must look. Tooth soon joined in the laughter. For several minutes the two of them danced among the icey dance floor, gradually getting a bit better at their footing, yet still having fun and making jest all the while. Jack would nearly trip, and as he would catch himself he'd crack an amusing comment, to which Tooth would giggle in return. It was the highlight of both of their days; primarily Tooth's, of course.

After a while the two retired to the edge of the grove, exhausted, and spent what felt like hours doing nothing but talking, like they would usually do. It was when the sky had darkened completely when Tooth finally said that she had to get back to work.

"So soon?" Jack complained teasingly, knowing full well that his friend had to get back to work. He got to his feet, offering Tooth a hand to help her up, which she took gladly.

After she offered a soft giggle, she spoke again, her voice significantly softer than moment before. "Jack?"

The light, feathery hum of her voice, combined with the now happy glow of her beautiful magenta eyes, all had him staring with a flutter stirring in his chest. His affection returned ten fold an he had to refrain from pulling her into a tight embrace and confessing his feelings. "Yeah?" he managed to say, luckily keeping his voice calm and void of any nervousness.

She did not answer with words. Rather, with a twitch of her wings, she stood as tall as she could on the tips of her toes and placed a kiss on his left cheek, light as a butterfly.

His cold cheeks lit up as red as North's nose and as warm as the sun in such a short amount of time, it was surely record breaking. Jack's eyes flew open an he froze, unsure of what to do. Did she seriously just kiss him? On the cheek? How is he going to respond? Did she mean to do that? Why is his face so warm?

As soon as she had done it, she had pulled away and, with a small, shy smile, she had taken flight and fluttered out of the grove before Jack could say anything. The dumbfound Guardian of Fun was left standing there, one hand on his cheek, his brain still trying to process hat had just happened. In a moment of realization, however, a smile began to tug at the corner of his mouth, and before long, a grin had painted itself on his face from ear to ear. She kissed him. _Tooth_ kissed _him_. Now feeling a whole new world of energy surge through his form, the boy let out a triumphant call as he summoned the wind and launched himself into the air, gliding out of the grove and following the late Summer breeze. He felt his heart pumping a mile a minute, and he couldn't stop grinning.

Looks like he managed to cheer the both of them up.

* * *

_**A.N.:**: Fun fact: This was completed on my last day of highschool._

_So, yeah... i have an idea for the next chapter, but i have no idea how to approach it, or how it's gonna turn up. but it will not be a disappointment, don't you worry._

_..ihope_

_but that may take a while as well, soooooo dont hold your breath. i promise it will be done though! hopefully sooner than this one, i might add..._

_i wanna give a huge THANK YOU to all you lovely people who faved, followed, and reviewed this story. it means so much, more than you think, and i really am sorry it took me forever to get my arse in gear and finish this stupid chapter. thanks for hanging in there!_

_catch ya later!_


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